The present invention generally relates to the field of power conversion and power distribution. Specifically, the present invention is directed to an efficient system for power conversion and distribution in an electronics equipment cabinet for avionics systems.
Electronics equipment cabinets convert and distribute internal power supplied by an aircraft power source. Generally, power conversion and distribution in electronics equipment cabinets is accomplished using single rail supply designs. For example, the Boeing 787 power distribution system uses a single rail output. The single rail design feeds power to load modules. Generally, the load modules are power converters.
The existing power conversion and distribution systems used in the Boeing 787 have significant safety and reliability issues. For example, multiple power supplies share load modules. Load module sharing leads to undesirable operational conditions such as reverse current flow. Today's high reliability applications require segregated, redundant power supply inputs. These power supplies must support power requirements for internal load modules without adding circuit complexity, power loss or decreased reliability. Moreover, efficient power distribution within modem electronics equipment cabinets will require a system with hot-swap capability, redundancy and fault tolerant design. Modern electronics equipment cabinets are typically constructed from one or more power supply converters and several electronics modules inner connected on a back plane.
According to one embodiment of the invention, a power conditioning module including a plurality of switched output power rails, wherein each switched output power rail comprises a first field effect transistor drive configured to receive an input, a diode connected in parallel with the first field effect transistor drive and a second field effect transistor drive, connected in series with the first field effect transistor drive and the diode, whereby the second field effect transistor is configured to deliver an output to a load.
According to another embodiment of the invention, a power conversion system, comprises a first power conditioning module providing an input to a load and a second power conditioning module providing an input to the load, wherein the load comprises a hot swap control unit operably coupled to the first power conditioning input and the second power conditioning input, whereby the hot swap control unit receives a single input and a power converter, configured to receive a single input from the hot swap control, having a plurality of outputs with varying voltages.
According to yet another embodiment of the invention, a power conversion system, comprises a first power conditioning module, configured to receive an input from a input power backplane and provide a plurality of outputs to an output power backplane, a second power conditioning module, configured to receive an input from a input power backplane and provide a plurality of outputs to a output power backplane and a third power conditioning module configured to receive an input from a input power backplane and provide a plurality of outputs to a output power backplane, wherein a plurality of loads are operably coupled to the output power backplane, each load receiving one input from the output power backplane.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, appended claims, and the accompanying exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings, which are briefly described below.